J Larsson1, U Rosenqvist, I Holmström. 1. Clinic of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Uppsala Academic Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. jan.larsson@trolin.net
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Physicians at the beginning of their specialist education have been reported to be especially exposed to stress and difficult working conditions. Considerable worry has also been caused by reports about anaesthetists dying at a younger age than other specialists as well as by reports about higher than average suicide rates among anaesthetists. Maybe as a consequence, many young doctors are reluctant to choose anaesthesiology as their future specialty. The aim of this study was to investigate what difficulties trainee anaesthetists experience at work. METHODS: Nineteen trainee anaesthetists in six Swedish hospitals were interviewed. Phenomenological analysis of the interview text was performed. RESULTS: All trainees had experienced considerable, sometimes extreme demands at work. Most of them often felt insufficient and inadequate and had problems with the professional role. Support from consultants was sometimes lacking. Some trainees expressed deep feelings of loneliness and helplessness in difficult clinical situations. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that trainee anaesthetists have to live up to high work demands, often with very little support. Because too much stress is an obstacle to professional learning, such working conditions are a hindrance to good specialist education. The first measure to be taken should be to ensure that all trainee anaesthetists always have easy access to senior cover.
BACKGROUND: Physicians at the beginning of their specialist education have been reported to be especially exposed to stress and difficult working conditions. Considerable worry has also been caused by reports about anaesthetists dying at a younger age than other specialists as well as by reports about higher than average suicide rates among anaesthetists. Maybe as a consequence, many young doctors are reluctant to choose anaesthesiology as their future specialty. The aim of this study was to investigate what difficulties trainee anaesthetists experience at work. METHODS: Nineteen trainee anaesthetists in six Swedish hospitals were interviewed. Phenomenological analysis of the interview text was performed. RESULTS: All trainees had experienced considerable, sometimes extreme demands at work. Most of them often felt insufficient and inadequate and had problems with the professional role. Support from consultants was sometimes lacking. Some trainees expressed deep feelings of loneliness and helplessness in difficult clinical situations. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that trainee anaesthetists have to live up to high work demands, often with very little support. Because too much stress is an obstacle to professional learning, such working conditions are a hindrance to good specialist education. The first measure to be taken should be to ensure that all trainee anaesthetists always have easy access to senior cover.
Authors: Sergio A Silverio; Hilary Wallace; William Gauntlett; Richard Berwick; Simon Mercer; Ben Morton; Simon N Rogers; John E Sandars; Peter Groom; Jeremy M Brown Journal: PLoS One Date: 2021-03-23 Impact factor: 3.240